Seal-lock.



No. 736,024. PATENTED AUG. 11, 1903. J. J. RUSSELL.

SEAL LOOK.

APPLIOATIQN FILED APR. 27, 1903.

H0 MODEL.

.- y I =1 g UNITED STATES Patented August 11, 1903.

ATENT OFFICE.

JOHN .IOS. RUSSELL, OF MILTON, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA, ASSIGNOR TOJAMES OHANNON, OF PAKENHAM, HORNSBY, NEAR SYDNEY, NEIV SOUTH ALES,AUSTRALIA.

SEAL-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 736,024, dated August11, 1903.

Application filed April 27, 1903. Serial No. 154,580. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J os. RUssELL, assistant postmaster, a subjectof the King of Great Britain, residing at Milton, in the State of NewSouth Wales and Commonwealth of Australia, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Seal-Locks Specially Applicable for Strap-Buckles, as ofMail-Bags, (Case 0,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a seal-lock especially devised for use onmail-bag strap-buckles, though useful to prevent unauthorized access toany fastening or other thing, and it has been devised in order toproduce a.

cheap, light, and easily-manipulated lock for such purpose; but in orderthat this invention may be clearly understood reference will now be madeto the drawings herewith, in which Figure l is a perspective view of aseallock constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal central sectional elevation of same. Fig. 3

horizontal sectional plan in unlocked position, and Fig. 5 a similarplan in locked position.

The strap has one end 5 sewed or otherwise fastened to the chape 6 ofthe buckle. This chape 6 joins the sides 7 and acts as a pivot for thetongue 8, adapted to take upon the rest-bar 9. The tightening end 10 ofthe strap is threaded under this rest-bar 9 and has holes through one ofwhich said tongue passes.

At the back end of the buckle a leaf or cover 11 is hinged and has onits under face a casing 12, in which is a sliding bolt 13, whose forwardend is adapted to take into a socket 14 in the lock box or casing. Thissliding bolt 13 is guided at its forward end by passing through anaperture in the casing 12 and at its rear by a tail or stem 15, movablyfitting an aperture through the back of the cover 11. These guides holdthe bolt 13 just sufficiently away from the top of said cover 11 toallow the insertion between said bolt 13 and said cover of a ticket 17of paper or other easily-destroyable material. 7 The casing 12 at oneside fits tightly up to the cover 11, while at the other side it is openand slightly cut away, but has distance pieces or prints is a plan; Fig.4, a

16 to guide the insertion of the tickets. In the top of the cover 11 isan orifice 18, through which may be inserted a hook-bar or the like(which by reason of such insertion will destroy the ticket 17) for thepurpose of operating the sliding bolt 13. This bolt 13 is held againstall but very positive motion by a side spring 19, preferably consistingof a strip of its own body, which forces a nick or recess 20 in theopposite side of the bolt against a ward or stop-piece 21 on the casingon the bolt reaching its locking portion. For manipulation of the bolt13 by means of a hook-bar an orifice 22 is provided, into which the hookof the bar will take, so that the bolt may be withdrawn from the socket14. This orifice may be a thumb-nick or the like or be circular; but tominimize risk of tampering by means of a fine needle or the like, whoseperforation of the ticket 17 would not be easily noticed, it is madesomewhat keyhole shape, as shown, and the periphery thereof, backwardly,is chamfered or has a feather-edge. With the similar object of makingfine perforation in front of the bolt 13 of no utility the forward endof said bolt also has prefer: ably a feather-edge.

In operation the bolt 13 is pushed backwardly by means of a hook-bar, aticket 17 is inserted between the prints 16 and the cover 11, and saidcoverclosed on the lock-box. By pushing the tail 15 the bolt enters therecess,

and the spring 19 holds it fast with the nick or recess 20 hard on theward or stop 21. When it is desired to release the lock, the ticket orseal 17 is destroyed, the hook-bar inserted in aperture 22, and the bolt13 withdrawn from the socket 14.

If desired, the bolt might be guided by pins in slots and the tail 15 bedispensed with, in which case a fine push-bar through a smalltail-aperture would be used to move the bolt into locked position, or,further, the bolt might have a propelling-spring to make the lockingautomatic.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is r 1. In a seal-buckle having a chape, a tongue hingedthereto, a rest-bar to limit the movement of the tongue, a hinged coverhaving an under face to take over the tongue, a sliding bolt in thecover to lock it in closed position; in combination with a destructiblesealing means seated between the bolt and cover, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with a buckle having depending sides and abolt-recess, a chape and a rest-bar secured in said sides, a tonguepivoted on the chape; of a cover hinged to the buckle, a reciprocablebolt having a notch and a tail capable of being projected through thecover, and a paper-sealing strip adapted to be slid between the bolt andcover, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a buckle having depending sides and abolt-recess, a chape In testimony whereof I have signed Iny name to thisspecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN JOS. RUSSELL. Witnesses:

FRED WALSH, PERCY NEWELL.

